1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method of recording employee time and attendance information and, more particularly, to a high-speed system and method using bar-coded identification documents in a computerized system.
2. Statement of the Problem
Many organizations, casinos, for example, employ thousands of employees who work in shifts. At the beginning of these shifts these employees are required to register their arrival in order for the employer to measure the number of hours worked. At the end of each shift these employees then register their departure. Typically, this registration has been done by marking a card with an inked stamp, thereby registering the time of arrival and departure on a conventional time card. This procedure is slow and can lead to substantial delays when several hundred or several thousand employees must each record their time of arrival and departure at a given starting and exiting time. There are also delays in processing the time and attendance information due to the fact that employees record their times at multiple time and attendance stations. A need currently exists to rapidly process a large number of employees registering their arrival or departure at a given time and at multiple entrances.
In addition to problems with delays, problems also exist with the security of this system. Because there is typically no way to confirm the identity of the individual actually punching the time card, it is possible for individuals other than the employee to use that employee's time card, allowing the employee to be credited for work done when the employee was actually not present. This problem is especially critical when dealing with a large number of employees entering or leaving work at a given time. A further need exists to provide a system of processing employees, especially large numbers of employees, at a given time wherein the identity of the person punching the time card is recorded.
Recent years have seen the development of magnetic stripe and bar code readers that require the user to move an identification (ID) card through a narrow slot with a constant downward motion past a read head. However, a false reading would result if constant speed during the "swipe" was not maintained. Also, the system would not notify the user of a false reading or give confirmation that the information on the card had been recorded. As a result, the user would be unaware of whether the system had made a valid reading or a false one. The user either would not attempt to repeat the "swipe" or would repeat multiple times to increase the chances that a valid reading had been made.
Another problem faced by these systems is that the narrow slot through which the ID card is passed requires the ID card and the slot to be in contact with each other. This physical contact would, after repeated use, cause the cards and the read heads to wear, resulting in maintenance and/or replacement costs.
Finally, current systems fail to address the needs of employees who forget their identification document. Without an identification document, the employee would not be able to record his or her arrival or departure at work without taking time to notify a supervisor with authority to record that employee's time and attendance without an identification document.
A need exists for a system and method for processing thousands of employees quickly. A further need exists for verifying that the person using a document is truly the person owning the document. A further need exists to allow an employee to record time and attendance without having an identification document. A final need exists for a system that does not require accuracy on the part of a user while the system enters data from a document card.
3. Patent Search
A patent search directed to the teachings of the present invention resulted in the following patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,829, to Jacobsen, presents a data-handling terminal including a microcomputer and memory. The terminal requires a mechanical feed of time cards with bar-coded information which are carefully fed through a path to be read. This system does not solve the problem addressed above that occurs when time cards are required to physically touch the reading device. It is also slow because the machine, not the user, feeds the card through the path to be read.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,780, to Kamata et al., is addressed to a human error preventing system, not a system for recording time and attendance information. Although it uses a bar code reader to read information, the system requires the user to operate the bar code reader by passing the reader over the bar-coded information. Again, this is a slow process due to the requirement of having the user hold and operate the reader.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,384, to Gineris, relates to a system and method for isolating and automating the transfer of tax withholdings to the appropriate tax withholding account. It uses optical scanning to scan documents. Gineris limits the system to payroll checks and the information in bar code form to information identifying particular withholding accounts. However, Gineris does not specifically address the needs involved where large numbers of employees are required to register their time using a physical document. Gineris especially does not meet the security needs of a time and attendance system where the system must be able to confirm the identity of the person using the identity document.
4. Solution to the Problem
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a system to record employee time and attendance information using bar-coded identification (ID) badges and/or cards which provides greater speed, greater security, and easier operation for the user of the system. The present invention is capable of entering time clock information for hundreds and thousands of employees quickly, when those employees are registering their time at multiple entrances. The current embodiment of the invention is capable of processing approximately five to six employees each minute at each reader.
The present invention does not require the user to swipe the document through the reader at a constant speed, thus minimizing problems with false reads when a constant speed is not maintained. Also, the present invention does not require the user to place the card carefully through a slot. It allows the user to place the card anywhere in a broad scanning region within which a valid reading can be obtained. This allows for readings to be taken faster than prior methods and allows for fewer false reads.
The present invention also does not require physical contact between the reader and the user identification document. This eliminates problems in the prior methods with physical wear of both the reader and the user identification documents.
The present invention also sends visual and auditory confirmation of a valid reading to the individual user when a valid reading has been obtained.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a video image can be taken of the user of the identification document. This allows for greater security by providing for confirmation that the user of the identification document is the person identified by the card.
The present system similarly allows for greater security by providing for additional keyboard input whereby the user can be required to input additional password information in addition to information bar coded on the user identification document.